


Chicago High

by faliceplease



Category: Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago PD
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Coming Out, F/F, F/M, Let's see how this goes, Sexual Content, Tell me what you think, and don't want to offend anybody, enjoy, i am proud of this so far, i love all these characters, i love high school drama, i will make linstead canon tho, one chicago - Freeform, the characters that aren't mentioned yet will come soon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-08-10 14:01:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faliceplease/pseuds/faliceplease
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. This story takes place in a world where your favourite characters all went to high school together. What's going on with the two brothers starting mid semester? Why is Erin being followed by a cop? What secret is Leslie hiding? And a whole lot of relationship drama along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the very first chapter of Chicago High. If your favourite ship or character hasn't been mentioned yet, don't fret - if you stick around you'll get to see a different spin to all your faves and their stories.

Booze. 

There was a lot of booze, that's what Erin remembers the most about her weekend. She can remember lifting her shirt up over her breasts, her head had been intoxicated, but it wasn't anywhere near her limit by then. The applause and complete admiration she heard in their voices, that's what drove her the most. 

Collapsing into her boyfriend's lap, and straddling him until it hurt her thighs, he was bigger than her but she wanted him then and there. Maybe most mothers didn't want their half naked teenage daughters humping their boyfriend's on her couch, but Erin's mother was so stoned Erin didn't think she would care even if she had been aware. 

It was like this every weekend, Erin would beg Kelly to take her out, but her snake of a mother would always convince him to have a drink, just one she always told him, until Kelly was too drunk to even remember why he'd come over in the first place, and before long Bunny's hoard of animal friends would be filing into their living room, making themselves at home. There hasn't been a single street drug that hasn't been consumed between these four walls, Erin knew that for a fact. It wasn't that she was an innocent bystander either, she's been right there snorting lines beside her own mom, that was something she didn't think she was proud of. 

On the days she bothered to show up to school was always hell. There she was hung-over sitting in class, giving attitude to any teacher who bothered to call her out in class. She wasn't pleasant to be around, not during the week at least. If it wasn't for her lunchtime smoke sessions with Kelly behind the school gymnasium, that almost always turned into quickies that made her buzz in places drugs couldn't even begin to touch her. 

Last night had been no different, except for the fact that it had been a school night, and although she had protested with her mother, she didn't put up a hard enough fight. Kelly had been at home like the good little boy his parents thought he was, while she had been trying to avoid the sleaze of a mom's boyfriend was trying to get into her pants. As she sat there on a broken chair, pressing her head against the brick wall behind her. "You missed a hell of a night last night." She told Kelly, who was sitting down beside her, his ass against the ground. He looked up at his girlfriend, and wrapped his fingers around hers. "I told you I was studying, you know what my dad's like." He pointed out, and Erin let out a sigh. She didn't know what his dad was like, not really. She knew that Kelly wasn't the kind of guy who would bring home the likes of her. His family wasn't perfect, but compared to her home life they might as well be. 

"Still." She hummed, closing her eyes to avoid the angry brightness of the sun. She didn't want to think too hard, she was just glad to have him by her side again. She didn't have much in this world, but she did have him. It sounded so weak to her relying on him for her everything. She was an independent girl in more ways than one, yet she would never admit that he was the only thing in her life that she would miss. 

"Didn't have too much fun without me did you?" He asked her, still fiddling with her fingers. She wasn't wearing the ring he'd given her for her birthday, he pretended not to notice but his mind did skim over the idea that maybe she didn't want it anymore, or him. 

"Definitely did not." She answered, opening her eyes for a moment, just so she could glance down at her boyfriend momentarily. They weren't the perfect couple, Erin was screwed up in more ways than even she knew, and Kelly had his own issues, his home life wasn’t the greatest either, she knew he and his dad fought a bit, but he never mentioned what they fought over. 

Her answer seemed to please him enough to lean up to give her a kiss, something that she never seemed to turn down, especially not when she was feeling like shit, and he was the only thing that took her mind off it. “What was that for?” She hummed as their lips broke. He didn’t move far, simply hovered in that position. She could feel his breath against her cheeks for a moment, it was comforting in a way, familiar, safe. 

“I don’t have to have a reason to kiss you do I?” He asked as he pulled away finally. The sunlight was no longer shielded by his head, and Erin was a little startled by how bright it was now, she hated this time of the day, it always casts a spotlight over their corner, the same corner she liked to think of as their own, nobody else came behind the building, their reputation protected that probably. 

“No, you don’t.” She confirmed, holding her hands over her eyes like a visor the soccer mom’s always seemed to be wearing, she didn’t know though, since her mom probably didn’t even know what soccer was anyway. 

-

Matt absentmindedly looked up when he heard someone entering the library, he wasn’t usually one to hit the books in his lunch hour, but he had a killer of an essay due in less than a week and honestly he wasn’t in the mood to fail a class, he didn’t think he would ever be in that mood. He flashed her a smile as Gabriela Dawson started walking towards him, she smiled back and made her way over to pull out the seat beside him. “You’re still working on that?” She asked, glancing over at his computer screen, he scratched the back of his neck and let out a well overdue groan. It wasn’t that he had been avoiding it, it’s just that he’s had other things on his mind lately. His girlfriend was going out of town on a family vacation, and he’s been trying to make the most of their last few days together. 

“Hallie left last night, my mind was preoccupied.” He explained, and she nodded her head slowly. 

“You’re the sappiest guy I know.” She teased, nudging her shoulder against his for a moment. She definitely wasn’t jealous, at least that’s what she was trying to swallow anyway. They’d been friends since the day they met, that was years ago now and she knew it was so cliché to have a crush on your best friend, yet there she was living her own damn soap opera. 

“You’re going to ruin my street cred if you go around calling me that.” He told her, following his words with an over exaggerated pout, she couldn’t help herself as her smile took over. 

“What street cred is that?” She snorted, shaking her head because he was too much sometimes. 

Matt opened his mouth to defend himself, but he didn’t get a chance to speak before the bell was ringing, and he realised exactly how much time he’d actually wasted. “I guess I’m in for a few all nighters this week.” He complained as he closed the lid of his laptop. “I’ll see you in English later?” He said to her, and Gaby nodded her head before they walked their separate ways. 

“What was that all about?” 

Gaby turned around to see Shay standing there behind her. It wasn’t like she had been keeping a secret, but the way her friend’s voice had startled her, you’d swear that she had just been caught doing something wrong. “Nothing, I ran into him in the library, it’s no big deal.” She shrugged, knowing Shay saw right through her, she was just too good of a friend to admit it. 

“Right, and I’m screwing Kelly Severide.” She snorted, thinking about her friend. She hasn’t seen much of him in a while, not since he started shacking up with Erin. When Erin came into the picture everything seemed to change with him, he didn’t have time for anything except her. Who knows why, Shay sure didn’t know what he saw in her. As far as she was concerned Erin was bad news, everybody knew that. She was just worried that Kelly was going to get himself kicked out of school because of her, and his future would be ruined. 

Gabriela rolled her eyes at her comment, knowing that there was a time when Kelly would have jumped at a chance to get into Shay’s pants, but that felt like forever ago now. 

“Speak of the devil.” She whispered, leaning across to the blonde to keep her voice as quiet as possible. The pair watched as the loved up couple walked hand in hand down the hallway. Erin looked as though she hadn’t slept in a week, but Kelly stilled looked at her like she had hung the damn stars. 

“Why is it that girls like her get to have all the good guys, but girls like us don’t even get pity dates?” Gaby asked, and Shay shrugged her shoulders, she didn’t really care about dates, or rather she wasn’t interested in dates with boys, but she wasn’t about to admit that out loud, she wasn’t ready for that just yet.


	2. Chapter 2

Jay Halstead wasn’t looking forward to starting at yet another new school. It was hard enough moving out of your family home and losing everything he had once believed was who he was. He didn’t like this change; he didn’t like changes at all. He has never enjoyed unwarranted attention upon himself, so standing in front of the class every period was pure hell. His saving grace was one girl named Gabriela who was standing behind him in the cafeteria queue. She had made sure he knew exactly what not to eat and in the end he only ended up with an apple and a pile of fries that seemed semi decent to munch on. “You’re going to want to start bringing something from home.” She told him with a big grin across her face. He had to admit she was the first good thing he’s had in his life in a while.  
She had offered him a seat with her and her blonde friend on the grass, but Jay really just wanted some time alone, maybe find his idiot of a brother, who he wasn’t even certain stayed on campus. He walked across the field and found his way behind one of the buildings, it was completely void of human activity so he sat down and started on his lunch, the tray sitting down beside him as he downed his fries easily. There was once a time where he had been quite bubbly and popular at his old school, but that was nearly a year ago now. He couldn’t really remember being that guy anymore, not after the year he’s had.  
“Who is that?” A male voice asked from across the way, Jay looked up and noticed the pair approaching towards him. He recognised the girl, she was in his English class and it appeared that she recognised him too. He didn’t say a word though just watched as the couple came closer. 

“He’s just some new kid. Don’t worry about him.” Erin told her boyfriend, who was a little annoyed that they weren’t alone as usual. Erin didn’t want any trouble, she can remember being the new kid herself and it made her want to give him some slack. “You’re Jay right? Jay Howard or something...” She wasn’t sure of herself then, but when was she ever.

Jay finished his mouthful and looked up at the girl who was standing over him. “Halstead.” He corrected her, wiping his sweaty palms over his jeans, before unscrewing the lid of his soda.

“I’m Erin, and this is Kelly.” She introduced, nodding back to her boyfriend, who was standing behind her in a small bound of confusion. He still had no idea who this guy was, or why Erin was being so polite to him. He’s known Erin for a while and he knows she doesn’t play well with others, especially not strangers.

Jay looked past Erin and gave Kelly a quick acknowledging nod. He didn’t feel like chatting, but neither did Kelly by the looks of things. “Do you want me to leave?” He asked Erin directly, wanting her to answer.

“Yes.”

“No.”

The couple answered at the same time, before exchanging looks between them, Jay took that as his cue to leave regardless of the one no he had received. He stood up and took a bite from his apple, he didn’t think he really belonged at this school, but knowing his dad he probably wouldn’t be staying long anyway.  
\-   
“So what’s with you and the new guy?” Leslie Shay asked her best friend. They were sitting on the grass in front of the library, a feast of junk food shared between them.

Gaby shrugged her shoulders and took one of the candy snakes between her teeth. She didn’t have much to tell, she was still entirely into Matt, who she knew was a happily taken man. She hardly even knew Jay, apart from sharing biology together, and talking in the cafeteria there was nothing to report.

“Oh come on, I know what you sound like when you’re flirting Dawson, you’re crushing on the new kid.” Shay told her, letting out a big laugh at the way her friend’s face changed at that. Maybe Gabriela was a little clueless when it came to boys, but so was she so really she was in no position to judge, but she could still tease her to no end, and that’s exactly what she intended to do. “If anything he’s a good distraction, I mean Mr Casey isn’t exactly looking your way just now, so what could it hurt? I could picture it.” She continued talking, and Gabriela was just wondering if she did have a crush, or if Shay was just trying to give her the push she needed to move on.

“Why are we talking about this anyway? I hardly know the guy.” She pointed out, but now as she watched him walking across the school grounds, she was starting to think maybe she wanted to get to know him.

-

 

When the last bell of the day rang, Jay stood outside the school gates on his own, he hadn’t actually seen Will all day, but he was hoping he actually went to classes this time around. When his younger brother finally emerged from the building, he gave him one look before walking down the footpath. The brothers were once the best of friends, that was until their mother got sick, and Will had started to investigate his wilder side. Now all they did was fight as Jay tried to keep him in line, and keep the family together. “I saw you chatting with some girl, are you going to ask her out?” Will asked from behind him, the pair were finally across the road away from school and anybody that could overhear. Jay turned to face him and shook his head. “Even if I was it wouldn’t be any of your business. Good to know you actually stayed in school for once.” He said in an icy tone. It was Will’s fault they were here, it was his fault they were kicked out of their old school, and Jay wasn’t ready to forgive him for that just yet.


	3. Chapter 3

If they hadn't been assigned as lab partners in biology, Erin doesn't know if she'd have purposely spoken to Jay again. They had little to nothing in common and she knew by the way he looked at her, when he thought she didn't notice, she knew he was quietly judging her. She knew boys like him, boys who thought they were better than everybody else just because their parents were normal. Because they didn't come to school smelling of alcohol because their mother decided to throw up over your only clean shirt. She didn't hold it against him, that's just how it went for guys like him. 

He probably had a mother who was at home baking him cookies for after school, and a father who spent his afternoons tossing a football between himself and his two sons. The very idea of that kind of setting made her feel ill, it was a million miles away from her own experiences. She watched him after class as he met up with Gabriela Dawson, a girl that Erin’s never gotten along with. The Dawson siblings were teacher’s pets, and although Antonio was kind of cute, she’s never felt the need to be around him on purpose.  
Jay was smiling as Gabriela told him something, it was as though she was watching one of those sappy teen movies, where the shy girl meets the hot new boy and they fall in love in the school hallway, it was disgusting really and she was about to leave the hallway when she noticed she wasn’t the only person watching the pair. A smirk ran across her face as Matt looked across at the pair with an almost glum look on his face. 

“Looks like the new kid’s got serious game,” she said as she walked up behind him.  
Startled, Matt turned to look at her fumbling through his book bag, trying to make it look as though he had no idea what she was talking about. Erin found that entirely amusing and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “I guess so.” He eventually responded, his shoulders moved as she was trying to shrug her arm from his body.  
“If I were you, I’d focus on the girlfriend you already have since you don’t have the balls to compete with that...” She looked over at Jay who was now showing Gabriela something on his phone. She patted Matt’s chest lightly, leaving him standing in the hallway with a confused look on his face.

 

Between kisses and drags from a shared cigarette, it was a regular lunch period. Erin thought lunch was her favourite time of the day, and it had nothing to do with food. Kelly was a grade ahead of her, so they didn’t share any classes, this was the only time of the day where she could be herself, with someone who she trusted and felt safe around. She could tell him anything, and he did the same with her, if they weren’t a couple she could picture them still being the best of friends, for now though it was them against the world. 

“You know that Dawson chick is all over the new guy.” She told her boyfriend; Kelly didn’t really know how to take in this bit of information so he just nodded his head. “It’s the only interesting thing going on between the four walls of this place.” She added when Kelly’s face was filled with confusion, she was never really one to care what her classmates were doing, so this was a first. 

Her eyes wandered past her boyfriend’s face, she was sitting sideways across his lap, cigarette between her fingers, her glance was met by a younger student’s, she took another drag of smoke and breathed it out into the air. “If you stop staring, maybe I’ll give you a hit.” She called out to him, the boy looked embarrassed that she’d called him out for it, but soon made his way over to the couple. “Do you get your kicks watching people make out?” She asked him as he stood in front of her.

Will shook his head, his face turning pink at that suggestion. He hadn’t been watching for that reason, he was just a very curious person was all. He didn’t know his way around the campus yet, nor did he know people could even hang out behind the buildings. “No, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know who you were...” He said quickly, feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet right now. 

Erin found this amusing, he was charming in a lost puppy kind of way. She handed over her cigarette to the younger teen and watched as he inhaled like a pro. “You’ve done this before.” She noted and Will nodded his head before exhaling deeply. She leaned forward to take it back from him. “And here I was thinking I was making your day.” She chuckled before handing the cigarette back to Kelly. “I’m Erin, this is Kelly. You’re Halstead’s brother aren’t you?”  
Will smirked cheekily at that and cocked his head to the side, “Technically I am Halstead, but yeah Jay’s my brother. He doesn’t like people knowing that though...”  
Erin couldn’t imagine why that was so, but she didn’t care right now. “And do you have a first name Halstead?” She questioned him, feeling Kelly’s hand return to her lap.  
“Will.”  
“Will.” Erin repeated with a nod.


	4. Chapter 4

Erin rolled her eyes when she saw the vehicle rolling up beside her. She stopped for a moment to think of a snarky remark, before walking over to the car. She rested her arms over the opened window and gave the man an amused smirk. “And what can I do for you today officer?” She asked, feeling a little too smug for anybody’s liking, especially not the man in the car. 

“Just checking up on you.” The man answered, giving her an equally as smug grin. He knew it was all just an act. She acted tough, but behind the hard shell there was a girl in there who was just as vulnerable as the victims he dealt with daily. “And it’s detective.” He added, but she already knew that; he told her every time. 

“Well Hank, you know me. I’m peachy.” She told him, moving away from the car. She didn’t need a cop babysitter, especially not one who acted like she was his long lost daughter. She wasn’t, thank goodness. 

“Erin, you know I’m only looking out for you, kid. You’re better than this.” He told her, and by this time around it was becoming a broken record. She didn’t care, she really did not give a damn about any potential he supposedly saw in her. 

“Why don’t you waste your time stalking girls better than me then?” She snapped, turning around, ready to walk off. She didn’t know why she even stopped for him anymore. He didn’t stop as often as he used to, but some days she found herself wishing he would. She liked the way it felt being rude to a cop, the way it gave her a sense of power to give him cheek. She knew he was the only cop who’d let her get away with it too. She had no idea what made her so special, at first she thought he was some pervert wanting to get with a school girl, but after rejecting his advances, she realised that he hadn’t been making any in the first place. 

She knew his kid too, he was a year level below her, and for a while she was sure Justin was being sent to spy on her; before realising that he was just as messed up as her without needing to fake it. She didn’t mind the guy, but still she didn’t want to take any chances just in case. 

“Erin” Hank called out of his window, following her down the sidewalk in his car. She didn’t look up, just kept her concentration on every step she was taking. She didn’t need a damn cop thinking he was her saving grace. 

Her front door was ajar, and her mother was passed out on the sofa, a pile of empty beer bottles sprawled across the floor beside her. This wasn’t unusual, she knew the drill. It wasn’t long before she was tiptoeing around the living room, trying to take the bottles to the trash without making any noise. 

“Erin” Her mother’s voice called out. Erin was standing outside the back door. She closed the bin and started back into the house. 

“I’m here.” She said softly, her voice so far away, so broken. She put on a tough act around her school peers, but at home she was just a little girl, a girl who shouldn’t be mothering her own mom. 

“Will you get me another beer? I don’t want to get up.” Bunny called out to her, a smile on her face. She had a way of making it seem like Erin was helping her out, like she needed her more than anything. Erin took the beverage out of their fridge, it was nearly empty bar a few leftover take out containers, and the bottles of alcohol. 

Bunny took the bottle graciously and pulled her daughter in close to her. “What would I do without you?” She asked, nuzzling herself in against her daughter’s hair.   
Erin could smell the booze on her breath, she hated the way it lingered in her hair; mixed with cigarette fumes, and a hint of something stronger. 

“I have homework.” She interrupted, pulling away slowly, not wanting to make this into a thing. Bunny hated it when Erin didn’t give her enough attention. She just wanted her daughter to be at her fingertips whenever she needed her. 

“Right, you little nerd, nobody likes a show off Erin.” She scoffed, flipping her hand around in the air as if she was shrugging it off. 

Erin knew she was pissed, but when her mom was passive aggressive, there wasn’t much else to do but leave the room. She didn’t say a word, instead just slumped her way down the hallway and into her bedroom. 

It was the only place in the world she had entirely to herself. A place where she didn’t have to deal with anybody except her own mind. 

She spread herself across the mattress, wondering when the last time her sheets had been washed. She could still smell Kelly’s scent, and a pang went through her body. She missed him when he wasn’t around, he was like a wall between her and her life, a distraction from her mother, from school, and hank the stalker cop. 

She knew he was busy with his dad after school, but that didn’t stop her from wanting him close. She took her phone from her pocket and tried to find the right words for a text. Nothing seemed to come out right, so she left it. Her homework was still sitting in her bag, and she didn’t actually want to do it, but she knew if she got bad grades, her mother would find another reason to shout at her, call her out for being pathetic again. 

No matter what that cop said, Erin knew she wasn’t any better than the woman who was raising her. This was who she was, who she would always be. This was her life and nothing anybody did was ever going to change her reality.


	5. Chapter 5

Jay sat down on the edge of his bed mindlessly tossing a football at his wall. His eyes scanned his bedroom, wondering what his parents would do with all of his things once he made it into the army. All he’s ever wanted was to do something important, be somebody, a hero. He paused, letting the ball bounce past him and fall onto the floor bouncing out until it lay flat against the carpet. 

A mountain of homework sat atop of his desk, textbooks bookmarked to pages he was dreading having to read through. He wasn’t naturally studious but he needed the grades to leave this place, to have some kind of future. 

He could hear voices from downstairs, his father yelling at Will over something he did or didn’t do, it never really mattered, they were always yelling. Jay was the quiet one who usually stayed out of trouble, but his brother wasn’t like that. Will was always partying or getting into shit he shouldn’t be doing, bunking off school, smoking pot out his window, staying out late with girls, the list was endless. 

After the sound of Will’s bedroom door being slammed started to echo through the house, Jay fed his arms through his jacket sleeves and slipped his feet back into his boots. He needed to get out of this house, needed fresh air to clear his mind, get him away from this shit he was trying so hard not to deal with. 

Halfway down the stairs, he could already see his father sitting down on the couch, face in hands as if he was struggling to deal with what was going on, he did that a lot and Jay felt bad for it. He knew he wasn’t adding stress to his father’s life, not right now anyway. He already knew that his father would have many opinions about him joining the army after high school; none of them would be good. 

He made it to the final step before the staircase creaked and his father looked behind himself to see who was there. Jay sheepishly stepped forward. “I was just going to the gas station, get air in my bike tires.” He lied, hoping that was enough of an excuse for the man. His father nodded his head, face softening at the one good son, the son who gave him no trouble at all. “Your mom keeps asking about you.” He said softly, flashing his teen in an awkward smile. Jay nodded his head but his eyes darted from side to side, avoiding meeting the older man’s gaze.

It was hard to face the truth at times, hard for Jay to really focus on what was happening in his life. His mother no longer lived at home, no longer greeted him at the front door after school, or sat across from him at the dinner table. Things were different and he didn’t want to deal with that now. 

Jay turned towards the front door, bike helmet in his hand. “I should head out before it gets too dark.” He told the older man, stepping away from his view finally. He walked out the front door and didn’t pause to hear the lock hit the latch. He buckled himself into his bike helmet and pushed his bicycle out of their front gate and straight onto the sidewalk out front. He didn’t enjoy having to ride everywhere but it beat waiting around for a bus every time he wanted to go anywhere. He didn’t turn back; if he had he would have seen his brother watching him from his bedroom window. 

This neighbourhood wasn’t Jay’s favourite. They used to live somewhere nicer; somewhere that Jay was proud to call his home. Their health insurance was barely covering his mother’s medical bills, and since she wasn’t working they didn’t have a lot of spare money lying around. Downsizing was their only option, so was changing to a public school. It wasn’t like he was a snob but he missed his old life, missed his friends, his teachers, people who gave a shit about him. 

The afternoon breeze was cold and soon his face was a bright pink colour, he tucked his head down to try and avoid some of the wind but it didn’t help him much. The corner store he was after was a few blocks away, but he liked the larger candy selection there. He wasn’t really a sweet tooth but lately he’d needed an excuse to get out of the house, get away from his mess of a family. His father was depressed, his brother was a menace and Jay felt like he was drowning in all of their problems, so much so that they’d forgotten that he had his own, that he even existed. He left his bike in the bike racks out front, not having anything to tie it up with he trusted that it was too cheap looking that nobody would bother stealing it. He left his helmet sitting on the handle bars and walked into the small store. 

The warmth hit him straight away, as did the old radio playing through the speakers in the back corner. He wandered down the aisles aimlessly staring at anything and everything. He was stalling time so he didn’t have to go straight home. His finger trailed across one of the shelves, he wiped the dust on the back of his trousers before walking down the candy aisle, his intended destination. He let out a soft sigh and crouched down to the bottom shelf to pick up a packet of M&M’s. 

“I didn’t think you were an M&M kind of guy.” A voice interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to reality. He looked up and nearly lost his balance.   
She placed her hand on his arm to steady him and Jay offered her a brief smile. “Um yeah, I’m in the mood for some of the peanut ones, but I guess they’re all out.” He answered, eyes scanning the shelves again as he rose to his feet. 

She nodded her head and tucked her hair behind her ears. “Oh wait, here you go.” She said once she had spotted a packet on the other side of the shelf, right next to the peanut butter cups. She picked one up and handed them over to Jay who was still stunned to even be seeing someone he knew outside of the school gates. “Yeah, thanks.” He said with a nod, looking down at the small packet in his hands. 

“That’s okay; I mean who doesn’t put all the M&M’s together?” She asked with a voice filled with laughter. 

“Hey, they have their own system, I respect that.” He joked, leaning across her to grab another packet. “I’m stocking up, saves me coming back tomorrow.” He told her with a genuine grin on his face this time. 

She chuckled at that and kneeled down to pick a few packets of the candy she had been looking for.

As it turned out they were both only there to buy their candy, Jay walked over towards the counter and offered to pay for hers, but she shook her head and held up the box of tampons she’d grabbed on the way past. He scrunched up his nose, but they shared a laugh until Jay had to turn around and pay for his food. 

He held open the door for Gabby who rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the store. “Is that your bike?” She asked when Jay started heading in the direction of the bike rack. “Ah. Yeah, that would be mine.” He was slightly embarrassed by his mode of transportation despite knowing he didn’t have to be ashamed at all. 

“Do you have some place to be?” She asked him, not ready to say goodbye just yet.

Jay shook his head. “What did you have in mind?”


	6. Chapter 6

Leslie Shay jumped up from where she had been sitting against a concrete wall. She was early to school as per usual, liked to get out of the house before the morning rush in her household. Her sister liked to hog the bathroom and it made her life easier if she left before she woke up. She could hear Kelly’s boots before he rounded the corner; she jumped out and startled him slightly. He shook his head and offered her a gentle smile. “Hey.” He greeted with a small chuckle beneath his breath. He hadn’t seen her in a while, he was a grade above her and spent most of his time wrapped up in Erin. 

“I didn’t know you walked to school.” She commented, her face screwing up as she tried to recall whether or not she already knew this information. She concluded that she didn’t, it had been a while since they’d really caught up with each other. They’d been friends since middle school when they’d travelled on the same school bus three times a week. Kelly was a year ahead of her but that never stopped them getting along. People used to tease them about liking each other, but neither one of them took it to heart. They knew the truth, they weren’t like that. Nobody really cared now, mostly because everyone seemed to have friends of different genders and Kelly had a girlfriend now which solved one problem and opened up a whole heap more.

Leslie didn’t exactly dislike Erin but she missed her best friend, missed having him alone to chat to. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d seen him without Erin by his side, it felt like forever and a day since they’d spoken. Things had changed and she didn’t know how to deal with that. She didn’t want to push him away and make things worse, she didn’t want to let her mind get the best of her, paranoia wasn’t something she needed to welcome into herself, she had too much to deal with without Kelly drama, boy drama was the last thing she expected to have in her life. 

She had to take quicker steps to match his long strides but they walked through the school doors side by side. “I found this new band on YouTube the other day, I can send you the link later if you want?” She offered, nudging his arm with her shoulder. He had grown so tall lately, made her feel even smaller than she already was. 

He shrugged his shoulders again and looked across at her with another smile drawn across his chapped lips. “Are you thinking of coming to that party on Friday night?” He asked her. He was certain that the party was being held by one of her classmates, somebody he hadn’t really had much to do with before, some guy named Connor. 

“Yeah! You know me, I love to party!” She exclaimed awkwardly, entirely over excited.   
“Oh yeah?” He laughed, shaking his head because he didn’t believe her. In the past they’d usually spend most social gatherings sitting on a couch laughing at their drunken classmates, making their own fun. That was before he started hooking up with Erin and actually started joining in with everyone else. Leslie wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of being left on a couch so she’d started conveniently having prior engagements every time she was invited out. This time she’d make the effort, if Kelly was expecting her to be there she would. Gabby didn’t really party, she was more of a goody-two-shoes kind of girl, there wasn’t anything wrong with that but this time she’d have to convince her friend to come with her, she knew how to do it too, he had emerald coloured eyes and Gabby wouldn’t need to be asked twice. Sure it would be like third wheeling with Erin and Kelly again, but at least they wouldn’t ditch her. “Yeah, I think I can swing it.” She said warmly, nodding her head. 

As predicted it didn’t take much to persuade Gabby to want to go, once Jay was on board she agreed almost immediately. Jay had been slowly worming his way into their friendship circle, the one that mostly consisted of Matt, Gabby, and Leslie, Hallie when she wasn’t on vacation with her family. Soon it would feel like she was just another fifth wheel. She didn’t know Gabby’s relationship status just yet but the way her and Jay acted around each other she guessed it wouldn’t be long before they made it official. 

It was Friday afternoon and Gabby was sitting cross legged on the edge of Leslie’s bed doing her make up in the adjacent mirror. She was humming along to the IPod that was plugged into a speaker that looked like a little boom box, a present from Kelly one Christmas. Shay let her blonde hair out for once and stared at her reflection in the bathroom. She walked out wearing a black sequinned dress and ballet flats, she might like to dress up on occasions but that didn’t mean she was comfortable wearing heels. Gabby looked up and grinned instantly. “Look at you!” She exclaimed, turning around so she could get a better look at her friend. “Every guy is going to be checking you out tonight, you can guarantee that.” She said in encouragement. It would have been encouraging to any other girl, except for Leslie it just made her feel like she had a hole in her stomach.

“Mhmm, yeah totally what I was going for.” She snorted, laughing it off as if she was joking. “You look really beautiful, I love it when you wear red.” She said in return, walking over to kneel down on the end of the mattress beside her friend. She took the hairbrush from the dresser and started combing it through Gabby’s beautiful chocolate coloured waves, she started to braid her hair as a distraction from the sinking feeling that was consuming her, she hated that she didn’t know how to be herself around her best friends, it made her feel dirty inside. 

Kelly and Erin were already sucking face when Gabby and Leslie walked up the front garden path. The couple were sitting on the front porch, Erin sat upon his lap as they were locked in an enthusiastic lip lock. “Get a room!” Gabby teased as she stepped past them and pushed open the front door. Erin pulled away and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She laughed softly and pulled herself away from Kelly’s lap. He followed her lead and moved to stand up. “Didn’t think you’d make it Shay.” She said to the blonde, flashing her a warm smile, he was happy she had made it, really. 

She nodded her head and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear self consciously. She noticed the way Erin was looking at her, wondering if she was missing something. She absolutely wasn’t, but nobody would believe that her jealousy was all over a friendship. This was high school and nobody gave a damn whether or not you denied something, they’d believe whatever they wanted. 

She followed Gabby inside and walked straight towards the kitchen to grab herself a drink, something strong to get her out of her thoughts. She tried to keep her eyes down, avoiding any specific eyes that might fall on her. She didn’t want unwanted attention from boys, she didn’t dress up to make men feel like they could approach her, and she certainly didn’t dress up for teenage boys. She soon had a drink in her hand and Gabby was standing by her friend Stella who was filling her in on all of the gossip they’d missed out on. 

Two buffoons walked into the kitchen, clearly they’d already been drinking for quite some time. They filled their plastic cups up to the brim again, laughing between each other as if they’d just done something hilarious. Leslie rolled her eyes and stepped closer towards Gabby and Stella who were sharing a memory, laughing between each other. Stella gave Shay a warm smile before she wrapped her arms around the blonde in a hello hug. 

Inappropriate whistling came from the other side of the kitchen, Stella rolled her eyes and started to giggle at how stupid they were being, she was mildly tipsy which explained the giggling, Shay didn’t think she’d ever seen her giggling sober, it was cute really. 

“Hey, why don’t you girls put on a show for us.” Said one of the boys, a pimple faced brunet who still thought spiking his bangs up was cute. Leslie rolled her eyes and tried to focus on her beer, silently praying that it would distract her long enough to calm down from this kind of harassment. 

The other boy laughed and pointed between the three of them. Gabby leaned up against the fridge, standing between her two friends. “Why don’t you finish your drinks and go pass out somewhere asshole.” She snapped, thinking they were relatively harmless but still incredibly annoying to her. 

“Oh come on Dawson, everybody knows that you’re a good little girl, nobody expects you to do it.” The other boy snorted, his red hair expressed the anger that Leslie felt bubbling through her. She finished her cup and squeezed it between her palm and fingers. 

“Yeah come on, a little girl on girl action never hurt anybody!” The two laughed and high fived as if they’d just said something hilarious. 

“Why don’t you make out, give us a show then?” She asked them in return, voice shaking slightly but she managed to compose herself enough. The two boys looked at each other in disgust, shaking their heads as if that was a terrible idea. 

“C’mon Leslie, we’re just playing. Don’t be such a bitch. We’re not gay.” The red headed boy said in a voice that made it seem like he was taking offense to what she had implied. 

“No, you think we’re just objects you can play with? Tell us what to do like we’re some kind of sexual servants that exist just to give your tiny dicks something to be excited about?” She asked, shaking her head in disgust. “Girls kissing girls isn’t a joke, there’s nothing funny about girls kissing each other, they don’t do it for your entertainment, they do it because they want to. Grow a brain asshole.” She scoffed, storming out of the room. She knew that she hadn’t expressed what she wanted to, she could hardly remember what she’d said to them. All she knew was that she was angry and didn’t care who knew it. She was sick of straight boys acting like girls making out was something done purely for the pleasure of men. It made her furious. She ran out of the front of the house, bent over to catch her breath as her palms settled down on her knees. 

“Shay!” Gabby called out, rushing down the front steps to see if she was okay. She stood behind her friend, wondering what was going on, why she was so riled up. She’d never seen her friend so angry before, she knew that Leslie wasn’t one for taking shit from assholes, but this felt different. 

The blonde turned around and shook her head. “You don’t get it do you?” She asked, feeling silly, she felt absolutely ridiculous standing there after making a scene. “I like girls Gabby, I like girls the way you like boys! Okay? Now if that’s not okay with you then I’m sorry, but that’s okay with me.” 

Gabriella’s mouth fell open slightly, she stepped forward and pulled her best friend into a hug, of course, it was okay, it was all going to be okay.


	7. Chapter 7

Gabriella was panicked, she had been racing around her house trying to make sure everything was in place. At first. the idea of having her boyfriend come over for dinner seemed scary, but as soon as Jay agreed to it all she wanted to do was proudly show him off to her family and show her family off to him. She was nervous because this was her first time having an actual boyfriend, one that wasn't ashamed to call her their girlfriend or spend time with her in public.

The house was spotless, the table was all set and now all she needed to do was get changed into something a little nicer. She passed her older brother in the hallway, looking up at him with a stunned look on her face. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" He questioned before his lips turned upward into a wicked smirk. The memory resurfaced in his mind. "Oh that's right, your boyfriend's coming over. How'd you swing that with dad anyway?" He asked, folding his arms across his chest. Whenever he had girlfriends the last thing his parents did was invite them over for dinner. The concept of that just blew his mind.

She let out an annoyed sound. "I dunno, mom suggested it and he kinda just let out this grunt, didn't really object so I took that as approval." She shrugged, giving him a pleading loo, hoping he would move out of the way. Her brother let out a small laugh and shook his head. "This is going to be interesting." He said in amusement before he was stepping out of the way. She rushed down the hallway and bounded straight up the staircase to her bedroom. She was running out of time, needed to get out of her sweats and into something more dinner appropriate.

The light tapping of knuckles against her bedroom door a few minutes later, caused Gabby to jump, she reached behind herself to finish fiddling with the zipper on her dress, frustration boiling through her as a couple of stray hairs decided to get caught. “Shoot.” She muttered. “Who is it? I’m kind of in the middle of something here!” She called out, believing it to be her mother, or brother. She could hear someone clearing their throat and she let out a long sigh. 

“I can wait downstairs if you want me to; your mom let me up here.” Jay said calmly. When Mrs Dawson had suggested he’d go upstairs to greet her daughter he had been surprised, it wasn’t exactly a common occurrence in his experiences. They’d only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks so far, but he’d already started referring to her as his girlfriend. On the day they ran into each other at the corner store, Gabby had been exactly what he’d needed at the time. His home life was a complete mess, tension was higher than ever and all he wanted was an ally, somebody to be on his side for once. Gabby had listened to all of his problems and never once judged him for any of it, things escalated quickly after that, soon they were almost inseparable. He already knew that he’d never invite her over for dinner, not in a traditional set up at least. His father was mostly at the hospital or at home drinking alone. He didn’t want to introduce the one good part of his life into that world, whether she knew all about it or not.   
With a quick twist of the doorknob, Gabby was now standing right in front of him. “You came.” She said with a sigh of relief, her face was lit up in a way that Jay had come to recognised, she was excited and he was the reason why. 

“I’ve never really done the whole dinner with the parents’ thing. I didn’t know what to wear.” He said self-consciously as he looked down at his dress pants and the church shirt he hadn’t worn in years. The sleeves were slightly too short, but he’d folded them up so it wasn’t too obvious. “I rode my bike over, so I guess my hair is a bit of a mess.” He chuckled, running his fingers through his sandy hair. He needed a haircut, but his mother usually organised things like that, he wasn’t going to ask his dad about it, he’d just have to find some place cheap and figure things out on his own from now on. 

“You look great.” She shook her head, small concerning frown across her brow momentarily. She soon broke into a gentle smile, turned around and swept her hair across her back so it was tucked over across her breasts. “Could you please help me zip this up?” She questioned, glancing back at him over her shoulder. 

Jay set his jacket down beside the doorway and stepped in closer to where she was standing. “Sure, yeah I can help with that.” He answered softly. He started unzipping her dress, past the caught hairs, he tugged them out of the way, pinching the sides of the zipper to keep it on track. His fingertips brushed the tip of her spine before he let go of the blue fabric. “My mom always had this trouble before church; she was a strong believer in looking her best every week.” He said quietly. He didn’t enjoy using the word ‘was’ it felt like he was giving up, like she was already gone. They still had time, she still had time and he knew that, he just wasn’t ready to face it yet. 

Gabby turned around, bright smile across her face. “My mom does the same.” She said warmly, reaching down to take hold of his cold hands. She knew that her father wasn’t home yet, if he were then there would be no way in hell that Jay would be up here, he wasn’t a strict father all of the time, but he was protective over her, his little girl. “I hope you’re hungry.” She told him, fingers caressing the back of his hands simultaneously. Jay nodded his head and flashed a brief smile. 

“I’m a teenage boy, I’m always hungry.” He told her, lips shifting into a smirk this time. 

“I hope you said hungry.” Antonio interrupted from the hallway, he paused in the doorway, giving his little sister a teasing smile as she dropped both of Jay’s hands. She picked up her hairbrush and projected it in his general direction.   
“Leave!” She exclaimed, moving to close the door to block him out, he was too quick for that, shifting his foot between the door and the frame, pushing himself back into view. 

“Hey, you know the open door rule.” He reminded her. There had been a lot of closed doors when Antonio was in high school, he wasn’t promiscuous but he did have a couple of girlfriends over the years, which gave their parents a lot of work trying to keep up. They trusted him to a certain degree, but he had been a teenage boy, and he was a lot more than hungry, a damn handful. 

“Okay, fine. Just please go and annoy somebody else.” She said to him with a pleading expression across her face. Luckily for her Antonio was in a good mood, he raised both hands in defeat and stepped out into the hallway once more, he bounded down the stairs with a loud thump once he’d made it to the bottom. There was a faint “Hey ma.” But after that Gabriella had completely tuned her older brother out. 

The door remained partway opened as the couple walked over to sit down across the bed together. Jay sat on the foot of the mattress, while she sat prepped up against her mountain of pillows. “Brothers are the worst.” She commented, fingers playing with the corner of one of the embroidered cushions. Jay nodded his head, smiling as he remembered their mild exchange. In his house there was a hell of a lot more yelling, and door slamming. He used to get along with Will, they were great friends for a while growing up but as soon as Will started hanging with the wrong crowd at their old school, things just started to fall apart. Jay didn’t know how his brother could be so selfish, he was always putting a strain on their family whenever he did stupid shit that made their parents have more to worry about. He couldn’t wrap his head around it, so he started to shut him out, deal with him on his own so that his parents didn’t have to worry. In some ways he wondered if it was his fault their father took a back seat in parenting, maybe if he just let him stay in charge of it all then he wouldn’t be so useless. Those thoughts were quickly tossed aside when Gabby started talking again. 

\----- 

The sound of dishes being passed across the table, accompanied by cutlery hitting plates was the loudest sound Gabriella had heard in her life. She didn’t know why the conversations were so nonexistent, or why her father kept staring across at her boyfriend. She coughed awkwardly to bring attention to herself as an attempt to make this dinner less awkward. “Jay wants to get into West Point.” She offered as a conversation starter. Jay started choking on the mouthful of food he had been trying to swallow, he didn’t expect things to be so serious all of a sudden. As he reached for his water glass, Mr Dawson nodded his head in approval. 

“A military man, ambitious.” He said with a smile in his expression. “My boy wants to be a police man.” He said in return, keeping an eye on Jay instead of his own son. 

“Gabriella told me about that, I think service is just as important right here in the States as it is stationed overseas.” Jay said to him, eyes still watering from his choking incident. “If I don’t get accepted, which is entirely likely, 91% of applicants are rejected, I wouldn’t mind working my way up through the police force if that’s where my country needs me to be.” 

“I like it.” The eldest Dawson said with a chuckle. Antonio didn’t quite know what to make of this conversation, he knew if he had come home with a dream of joining the army, his parents would have flipped the very table they were eating at, all Jay had to do was give a little speech about how honourable it was to serve and his father was eating it all up. 

It was obvious how thrilled Gabriella was with this turn of events, she even offered to clear the dishes, which was usually something she couldn’t get away from fast enough. She disappeared into the kitchen with her mother, leaving the three males to talk further about their futures. The sink was slowly filling with boiling water; Gabby took a sip from her glass of water and let out a happy squeal. “Dad actually likes him.” She said with relief filling her tone. Her mother laughed softly and nodded her head in response, she didn’t doubt that he would, Gabriella always had a good head on her shoulders, she might be a little too passionate sometimes, but even when her passions led her astray she still made good choices, boyfriends included. 

“He is a very nice boy, very easy on the eyes too.” She said as she slipped her hands in beneath the hot water, the temperature was still moderate, she decided to leave it a few moments longer. “You are being careful, yes? I don’t want to wait up half the night like with your brother, worrying for your safety.” 

Gabriella let out a small groan, she didn’t want this conversation dampening her good mood. “Mom, I’m careful, I’m safe. We’re just hanging out okay? I’ve never even broken curfew.” She pointed out, trying to play on the contrast between her and Antonio at the same age. 

“I know, you are my good girl.” Her mother said warmly. “You go and spend time with that boy of yours, I’ll finish up these dishes.” She offered, although her tone was more her telling her daughter what to do, and Gabby wasn’t going to argue with that. She rushed back to the table. “Who wants dessert?” She questioned, eyes falling on Jay’s as he looked up at her with a warm grin.   
\----- 

The young couple stood outside, not a word had been spoken since they’d walked out into the cold. Jay stood leaned back against the garage door, staring down at Gabby who was smiling up at him. They were stalling their goodbye; both knew this and both of them didn’t want to be the first to engage with the impending departure. “Thank-you for coming.” Gabby eventually caved. She didn’t want this night to end, a vision of Jay laughing alongside her father, swapping stories with her brother, charming her mother. It was the perfect night and she had no idea how it had come about. Jay dipped his head forward, fingers brushed against her chin, thumb caressing her cheek ever so carefully. “I like your family.” He whispered, wanting her to know that this was something he could do again, spending time with a family who actually wanted to be around each other, a family who gave a damn about his schooling, his dreams for the future. 

“They like you too.” She whispered in return, leaning forward to connect them, breaking the space between the two bodies standing painfully close, yet so far apart. Their kiss was gentle like their very first, that night still played in Jay’s mind whenever he needed a distraction from his family, the way her soft lips felt like comfort against his own, the gentle nature she possessed in every given moment. She made him feel some kind of safety, which is what he had needed for a long time. 

The lights flickered on and off above them, a signal created for Antonio whenever he had been outside too long with a girl. Gabby started to laugh as they broke apart, Jay leaned back against the wall again, hands slipping into his jacket pockets. “I think they want you inside.” He said with a smirk. 

She nodded her head and closed her eyes in slight embarrassment. “I’m coming, alright!” She called out, leaning over to catch a glimpse of her father from the living room window. She rolled her eyes and moved over to where Jay was again, out of sight. She leaned up on her tiptoes and left a quick peck against his lips. 

“I’ll see you in school.” She told him just as she dashed up the walkway to her house, leaving her boyfriend standing there with a smile on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder for this chapter: I have made Jay the older brother for this fic. Hope that nobody is too confused by that since the show has decided he is the younger brother. Thanks for being patient with waiting for updates. Let me know what you think x.

Will Halstead shuffled in through the back door of his home. He knew his father would be in the hospital visiting his mother, which was his only responsibility lately since he'd recently lost his job. It was a shitty environment around their new house, it barely fit the three of them comfortably, but they somehow had enough room to avoid each other. Will's room was originally meant to be a small study, but since they didn't have many options in their price range, it was either sleep in there or bunk in with his older brother, someone he couldn't stand. 

Jay had always been a good brother to him, as long as Will acted the way he wanted him to, when he didn't Will became enemy number 1. He didn't understand why his brother was so messed up, why he always looked down on him, judging his every action. It got old real quick and now Will didn't give him a chance to have an opinion. They didn't talk, barely acknowledged the other even existed lately. Their new school was so run down, the teaching staff hardly noticed whether or not he was attending classes anyway, which he wasn't currently doing. He had a few hours before Jay would realise he wasn't in school and would rush home ready to scold him for it, which was why Will had it all worked out, he would sneak back into the school grounds just before the final bell and Jay wouldn't have a clue. 

He set up his Xbox with the television and walked back through to the small kitchen, where he made himself a bowl of popcorn, something he wouldn't get to do if his brother was home. Jay hated the smell of cooking popcorn, always complained that it made the whole house smell. Will couldn't care less what Jay wanted. 

He set himself up on the couch, feet propped up against the coffee table, he jumped up as soon as he heard a key in the front door. It was barely 12 pm, so he knew it couldn't be goody two shoes coming home from school. It didn't take him long to aim the remote at the television to switch it off, and duck across the room to dart up the staircase. He had a view from the very top step, could see glimpses of his old man taking off his coat and scarf, murmuring something the youngest Halstead couldn't work out. He watched as his father leant across and pressed a kiss to the lips of a woman who had been out of his view until then. The lips did not belong to his mother, a white woman who could barely breathe on her own. This woman was a stranger and Will had no idea what to do. He moved quickly down the hallway and closed his door quietly behind himself. Jay would be crushed, his mother would be distraught. He wished he'd just stayed in school, maybe this was his punishment for skipping.

Jay didn't wait for Will after school, instead, he walked Gabby home in the cold. Her parents were both working and Antonio was at the academy. This wasn't a habit he intended on sticking to, he didn't want her parents thinking he was the kind of guy who would sneak around with their daughter behind their backs. This was his way of being a gentleman, walking his girlfriend to her front door, politely accepting an offer to come inside for hot chocolate, that really ended up a make-out session in the kitchen after he reached for the marshmallows, and ended up leaning in for a kiss instead.  
"I have to go home to work on my biology paper," Jay told her once he could finally come up for some air. Gabby played with the scarf that was hanging around his neck, looking up into his bright eyes. "Is that your way of telling me you need to cool off?" She asked with amusement. 

Jay laughed and shook his head. "No, trust me. I would love nothing better than to spend the rest of my afternoon kissing you, but I don't exactly trust Erin to write her half of the paper, so I have to put in an effort." He said to her before catching her lips with his own, his version of an apology. 

She understood him then, knowing Erin wasn't exactly known for her attentiveness. She didn't really blame the girl, she came from a messed up family, not that she knew the details, she'd just heard rumours really. "Go and write your paper." She said to him, giving his hands a gentle squeeze, loving the fact that he wasn't pulling away just yet.

Jay kissed her lips a couple more times, he did feel bad but the weekend was coming up and he would make it up to her then. Ever since he'd come over for dinner, things had been non-stop for the couple, they'd spent every possible moment together, Jay was smitten, and Gabriella was head over heels. Her mother was sure it was going too fast, but Papa Dawson was just happy his daughter had good taste, he liked a man with life plans, someone who could look after his little girl. Jay's father had no idea his son had a girlfriend or any form of a social life. He was too busy with his own life, which Will was now well aware of. The three Halstead men were all living separate lives underneath the same roof, something Mrs Halstead would be horrified to find out about. 

Jay had decided to go and see his mother. He didn't know why he hadn't been open about it with his girlfriend, but a part of him thought that he wouldn't go through with it if he said it out loud. It didn't take him very long to get to the hospital on the city bus. He didn't like hospitals, it made him feel bad for everyone who was sick or injured, made him wish he could help in some way. He couldn't and that made him feel worse. The nurses who recognised his face didn't say much but he could tell from their faces that they were pleasantly surprised by his visit.

He didn't like the sight of her frail body, but there he stood in the doorway of her room, between the brightness of the hallway, and the darkness she surrounded herself in. "Mom. It's me, Jay." He said softly, closing the door behind himself. It took him a moment to push himself into walking over to her bedside. She looked a lot worse compared to the last time he'd been around to see her, in fact, the last time he'd been there, he'd hidden behind his father, tried to keep himself from getting too upset over everything that was going on. He hated that she was dying, hated that he didn't know how to deal with it. Things at home were falling apart, so he believed that he needed to keep himself together in front of her. 

"It's good to see you." She managed to croak out, moving to try and sit up. He shook his head and sat down, his hand covered hers on the bed, a small smile ran across his lips. 

"It's good to see you too. I've missed you." He said to her, noticing the coldness of her skin against his sweaty fingers. "I'm sorry it took so long, I've been busy with school." He said weakly, knowing that she could probably see right through that excuse. 

"I haven't visited you either, we're even." She said with a small laugh, wanting to see her boy smiling again. She hated the worry on his brow, the way he looked so scared and out of reach. She wanted her boys to know that this wasn't the end, even if she couldn't fight anymore, she wanted them to be the best versions of themselves, to be strong and brave. 

Jay did his best to fill her in on everything going on in his life, he didn't mention the distance between the three people she left at home. He told her about Gabby and Erin who he really did have to write a paper for, he wasn't entirely lying to Gabby about that. He watched as she smiled at his every word, asked questions about his new school, and listened to him talking about his girlfriend. She was happy for him, happy to be able to listen to the parts of his life she wouldn't get to see. 

"I love you." She told him, minutes before he was expected to leave. The nurses had already warned him that visiting hours were ending, and Jay felt disappointed about having the cut his visit so short. He kissed her forehead carefully before squeezing her frail hands in his own strong grip. "I love you too, mom, I'll visit you again soon. I promise." 

It took every ounce of strength he had in himself to not turn back once he had left her room. He felt himself tearing up as he slipped his arms into his jacket sleeves. He didn't think it was fair that somebody so important could be given such a shitty ending. 

"Jay!" Erin called out from behind him. She was sitting in the waiting room of another ward Jay was walking past. He wiped away the stray tears and turned towards her. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked her curiously, walking towards her. 

"My stupid mom overdosed again, I'm waiting for her stomach to be pumped so I can take her home, and make up an excuse as to why the state can't send me into foster care, you know, the usual." She said with a shrug. She placed the magazine she had been flicking through down on the table and looked up at him with fresh eyes. "What are you doing here?" She asked in return, noticing how visibly upset he was. 

"My mom, she lives here." He said softly. "Or she's dying here."


	9. Chapter 9

It had been forever since Leslie Shay had spent any real time with Kelly, so when he showed up on her doorstep she was more than happy to step aside and let him in. Her parents were out with their friends for dinner, and her sister was away on a week-long school trip. The house was quiet and lonely until her best friend walked through the threshold. "You here on your own?" He questioned, looking around the dimly lit home. He hadn't been around since they had redecorated, it looked nice but he didn't really know anything about decorating. 

"My parents will probably be home late." She answered, her long sleeves falling down past her wrists. It had been a long time and for a moment she wasn't entirely sure how to act around him. "You want a drink or something?" She asked, taking the lead by walking into the kitchen. Her house was small, a lot smaller than Kelly's, but it was a cosy home where her family were close and didn't mind the close proximity. Kelly's family were cold and distant in their big home, something she wouldn't trade for the world. 

"I wouldn't say no to a beer," Kelly said to her, warranting himself an eye roll in return. 

"Diet Coke it is." She said as she pulled open the fridge. 

Kelly made himself at home sitting at the breakfast bar. His eyes fell on the fridge where photographs of the two sisters' littered the surface, surrounded by their achievements. He noticed Leslie's award of excellence hanging in a frame on the wall across from them. She had always been a good student when she wanted to be. He knew she was smart but he didn't notice it until he saw her walk across the platform in eight grade, taking her certificate with pride. He didn't doubt her abilities but it was still a shock seeing his friend be rewarded so publicly. 

The can of coke was sat down in front of him. He looked up at the blonde who had already opened hers and was taking a long sip of the sugar-filled liquid. He knew her father would hit the roof if they were caught drinking alcohol, he was a lot stricter than his own father on things like that. His dad was all talk, but really he couldn't say much since he did the same things at his age anyway. 

"Cheers." He said to her, taking a long sip himself. 

"You okay?" She questioned after a silence fell over the room. He nodded his head, giving her a confused look. He didn't know it was that obvious, that she would be able to tell he was feeling more than a little lost. Erin was dealing with something and he didn't know what. He had no idea where she was, or why she wasn't answering his calls. He knew it wasn't a very nice thing to do to his friend, use her as a distraction in his life, but there he was regardless, sipping soda in her kitchen, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions. 

"I'm fine." He assured her, laughing it off. 

She shrugged her shoulders knowing that he wouldn't budge even if she did continue to press him over it, she knew there was something beneath the surface but it wasn't her place to dig deeper to figure it out.

She opened the cupboard and pulled out a packet of peanut m&m’s. “You want to watch a movie or something?” She asked him with a cheerful tone. If he wasn’t going to perk up on his own, she was going to nudge him in the right direction.   
He took the packet from her and let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, but I’m picking the flick, don’t want one of your girly rom coms.” He told her, walking alongside her in the direction of her living room.   
She snorted dramatically and shoved her hand eagerly into the packet. “You’re the one who loves those films.” She shot at him, pausing to pick up the TV remote.  
Kelly spent most of the evening checking his phone. It didn't go unnoticed, but Leslie had no idea how to approach the subject. She didn't want to intrude, didn't want him pushing her away all over again. The divide between them had been him choosing Erin over her and she really didn't want to lose her best friend again. 

When Erin finally messaged him back, Kelly started to relax again. She was busy with her mother, he had offered to come and sneak in later but she declined the offer. He was trying to talk himself out of reading too far into that, so he took another handful of m&m's and turned his attention back to his best friend, who was staring at the television screen in awe. He stretched his leg out to kick her gently, she turned her attention over to him with a friendly smile across her lips. "What?" She asked, stretching her arms up over her head. 

"You want ice cream or something?" He asked, thinking back to their childhood. They used to make the best ice cream sundaes, always made it into a contest to see who could make the most outrageous combinations of toppings, making themselves sick trying to eat every single bite, careful not to waste it. She nodded her head and rushed out to the kitchen to see what they could use. Kelly tossed his phone onto the couch, leaving it behind.

When Kelly was gone, Leslie tucked herself up in bed while her parents shuffled around in the hallway outside of her room. They came home to find her and Kelly asleep on the couch together. She knew they were too polite to make a scene, but they were concerned, and she knew a conversation about boys was in her future. It would have been bad enough if she were straight, but knowing what she knew about herself, what they didn't have a clue about, it made the whole thing even less appealing. She just wanted to fall asleep and never have to wake up, or at least never have to hear their birds and bees speech, laced between the lecture on trust she knew was coming around the corner.


	10. Chapter 10

Hank Voight didn't enjoy hearing news like this, he really didn't want to be walking through the threshold of Chicago Med in search of a teenage girl, one who wanted nothing to do with him. Erin was curled up in a ball in the waiting room fast asleep. It wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last time she had to wait in the waiting room for news of her mother's condition. Voight knew she would be unpleased about hearing news from him but tonight he didn't care. He found her rather quickly, it was late and the waiting room had been filtered out until it was emptied. He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, hoping to wake her gently from her slumber. 

Erin jumped, he had startled her to attention which was his intention, but she wasn't too impressed. "Why the hell are you here? You stalking me or something?" She asked him in annoyance as she rubbed her tired eyes. Her mom would be fine, she always was. Hank Voight didn't need to get himself involved in her business again. 

Hank sat down next to her, arms crossing over his chest as he waited for her to be ready to hear what he had to say. He knew she wasn't going to like what he had to say, even if it would be far worse if Bunny had died, a part of him wished that were the case so Erin would have no choice in the matter, so she wouldn't fight so hard. "Your mom's going away for a while, rehab." He said carefully, turning towards her to search for her reaction, gage her thoughts somehow. 

Erin simply shook her head. This has happened before and nothing ever changes. She will come home and start drinking again, shooting up within an hour of stepping foot inside their home. She didn't think it mattered how many times they sent her away, she would never change so what was the point? She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head more prominently this time. "Okay, so what? Do I get sent off to some group home until she comes back? Nice. A piece of cake. She'll be home in thirty days, I can make it until then, always do." She pointed out, reaching for her coat. There were no social workers in her line of sight but if Hank was here then she assumed that meant they were just around the corner. She didn't have much at home, so she didn't feel the need to go back there to fetch anything. All she needed was her phone and her jacket anyway. 

Hank listened to her words, a frown across his brow. No kid should have to be this familiar with how the system worked, he hated that this was her reality. He's known Bunny for a long time, and Erin for a lot of it too. This wasn't something he wanted for her, which was why he was here. "No, you're not going to a group home. You're coming home with me Erin. My wife has already set up the spare room for you. You'll have your own space." He explained, watching as her face changed from confusion to annoyance. 

"Is that even legal? Me coming home with you? You're not serious." She shook her head, finding him completely unbelievable. He was always worming his way into her life but this was beyond anything she would have imagined. There was no way in hell that she would go home with this nutjob. He was a stalker, a weirdo cop who thought he could fix her, he was wrong, nobody could fix her. 

"Erin," Hank said softly, eyes still focused on the young woman in front of him. "It's either come home with me or go into a group home for young offenders, that's the only place available tonight. The kind that strip searches and has a strict curfew, not the kind you were in before." He explained, hoping she knew what she was up against here. It wasn't the same as it was when she was 12, the older she got, the less the system cared about putting her into a loving environment, and more they cared about keeping her off the streets. 

Erin let out a long sigh and nodded her head. "Just for tonight." She told him, making herself very clear about where she stood. "I'm going to find my dad, then you won't have to stalk me anymore." She said to him, hoping that he would just leave her alone some day, hopefully, sooner rather than later.

"Okay." Voight agreed, standing up and patting himself down to find his phone. He messaged Camille, letting her know they were on their way. Erin needed a stable environment and maybe he could be strict at times, but so far Justin was doing okay, he wanted to give Erin a chance to change her life, turn it around so she wouldn't turn out the same way her mother has. He believed that she could do better than that, she was bigger and better than her circumstances.


End file.
